18 U.S.C. § 1920
Section 1920 · False statement or fraud to obtain Federal employees compensation
Amended 4 times on record
Applied in 80 court decisions — leading case United States v. Gaudin (1994)
Most recently applied in United States v. Chikosi Legins (May 2022)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Whoever knowingly and willfully falsifies, conceals, or covers up a material fact, or makes a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation, or makes or uses a false statement or report knowing the same to contain any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry in connection with the application for or receipt of compensation or other benefit or payment under subchapter I or III of chapter 81 of title 5, shall be guilty of perjury, and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine under this title, or by imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both; but if the amount of the benefits falsely obtained does not exceed $1,000, such person shall be punished by a fine under this title, or by imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Statutes at Large 5 U.S.C. 789. Sept. 7, 1916, ch. 458, §39, 39 Stat. 749. Oct. 14, 1949, ch. 691, §103(b), 63 Stat. 855. The word “That” in the Act of Sept. 7, 1916, is omitted as unnecessary.
The words “under section 8106 of title 5” are substituted for “under section 754 of this title” to reflect the codification of the section in title 5, United States Code. The words “a claim for compensation under subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5” are substituted for “any claim for compensation” for clarity.
The words “or both” are substituted for “or by both such fine and imprisonment”.
Minor changes in phraseology are made to conform to the style of title 18.
Amendments
1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “fine under this title” the first place it appears for “fine of not more than $250,000” and “fine under this title” the second place it appears for “fine of not more than $100,000”.
1994—Pub. L. 103–333 substituted “False statement or fraud to obtain Federal employee's compensation” for “False statement to obtain Federal employees’ compensation” as section catchline and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Whoever makes, in an affidavit or report required by section 8106 of title 5 or in a claim for compensation under subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, a statement, knowing it to be false, is guilty of perjury and shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.”
Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $2,000”.